Mismanagement of Contracts: Interactive Timeline

G4S Founded

G4S was founded in 2004 with the merger of UK-based Securicor PLC and Denmark-based Group 4 Falck. Today, G4S is the third largest employer in the world with 623,000 employees operating in 110 countries. Its subsidiary, G4S USA has 50,000 employees.Read more

Miami-Dade County Fires G4S

Miami-Dade County fires G4S after company is charged with widespread fraud. While allegations of overbilling run as high as $17 million, after a five year dispute, G4S reaches settlement to pay Miami-Dade County $7 million.Read more

CBS News Investigation

Asleep at the Power Plant

Wackenhut/G4S loses contract at nuclear facilities after federal investigation shows pattern of security guards willfully inattentive and sleeping on the job. In addition to power plants, Wackenhut/G4S lost a $549 million contract to guard the Federal Y-12 complex, a prime target for terrorists because it stores tons of highly-enriched uranium.Read more

Wackenhut CEO Forced to Resign

The Washington Post reports that Wackenhut CEO, Gary Sanders has resigned. Sanders has been engulfed by allegations of lapses in security at nuclear plants, an audit over whether it overcharged the city of Miami for transit guards, and a bitter dispute with the Service Employees International Union.Read more

St. Louis Metro Drops Wackenhut

Light rail in St. Louis drops Wackenhut less than two months into 3-year contract. The Transit Agency terminates the contract under a “no fault” provision to avoid lawsuits.Read more

Racketeering Charges in Florida

The man at the head of Wackenhut security services in Florida at the time of a 2007 NBCMiami investigation was arrested and charged with racketeering.Read more

Florida Fraud Charges

Whistleblower is vindicated for charge that G4S systematically overbilled Miami-Dade County for empty guard posts and fraudulent timesheets. A lawsuit against G4S/Wackenhut claims that the overbilled taxpayers for $17 million.Read more

Death of Jimmy Mubenga

Scotland Yard is considering bringing a corporate manslaughter charge against the world's largest private security firm over the death of an Angolan deportee. Detectives investigating the death of Jimmy Mubenga, who collapsed while being deported on a commercial flight from Heathrow, have interviewed whistleblowers from G4S, the company hired by the government to deport foreign nationals. Read more

G4S Wins Olympics Contract

G4S wins $440 million security contract to provide 10,400 guards for the London 2012 Olympics. Read more

G4S Promises to End Israeli Contracts at Future Date

G4S has promised it has future plans not to renew service and equipment contracts with Israel. The Company made this claim amid protests against its support for Israel’s illegal occupation. While G4S continues to service and equip prisons and checkpoints, activists vow to keep up the pressure.Read more

G4S CEO Resigns

G4S CEO Nick Buckles resigns after London Olympics fiasco. The company is forced to pay $78 million to the British government for failing to meet its contract obligations. Buckles admitted that the Olympics contract was a "humiliating shambles" for the company.Read more

Brits Investigate G4S

G4S is under investigation by the British agency in charge of serious fraud cases. G4S will be investigated for overcharging tens of millions of dollars on contracts to monitor criminal offenders with electronic tagging devices. British officials say G4S charged for monitoring people who had moved abroad, had their ankle tags removed, and even people who had died.Read more

G4S Causes Olympics Chaos

G4S creates international scandal when it breaks commitment to provide 10,400 trained security guards for the London Olympics. G4S embarrasses the British government and leaves Olympics security plans in shambles. The UK government is forced to issue a military draft for an additional 3,500 troops to fill the gap created by G4S mismanagement. Read more

G4S Sacked at South African Prison

G4S is sacked at South Africa Prison. The South African government took control of a G4S prison after the private security contractor lost control of the facility. The Department of Corrections announced it was replacing G4S due to deteriorating safety and security.Read more

G4S Shares Tank

Stock Market Report: G4S shares tank as new contract fraud investigation is announced. Following investigation that G4S overcharged the government for electronic monitoring of criminals, a new audit uncovers problems with G4S contracts at UK court buildings.Read more

G4S Overcharges in UK

G4S forced to repay $181 million for overcharging on UK contracts to electronically monitor criminal offenders. G4S paid an additional $7.5 million to cover overcharging on two contracts to manage court facilities.Read more

AU Guards Accused of Murder

Australian official claims G4S guards stomped on the skull of Iranian asylum seeker. The account, obtained by News Corp, claims that local guards were in a “frenzy” as they kicked Reza Barati in the head while he lay defenseless on the ground. Guards accused of killing Barati will go on trial.Read more

G4S Loses AU Contract

Oakwood Prison Issues

Drugs and disorder are reported at G4S Oakwood Prison in UK. G4S is cited for hiring inexperienced staff, with high levels of sick leave and rapid employee turnover. A G4S employee told the Guardian Newspaper that guards are at a disadvantage with prisoners because of their inexperience.Read more

ColorOfChange Action

The nations’ largest online civil rights organization has called on the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice to stop contracting with G4S and other for-profit prison contractors. ColorOfChange.org urged the state officials not to renew G4S contracts that are valued at $120 million.Read more

Gates Foundation Bails

The Gates Foundation has dropped its stake in G4S. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has fully divested from G4S, a company that has been plagued by scandal in the UK and for its support for the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Read more

United Methodis Church Divests

The United Methodist Church has divested from G4S. According to David Wildman, Executive Secretary for Human Rights and Racial Justice, this was the first time that a divestment decision was made relating to Israel’s illegal settlements and military occupation.Read more

Desmond Tutu Challenges G4S Role

Desmond Tutu, retired archbishop and Nobel Peace Laureate, challenges G4S’s role in maintaining prisons and detention centers in Israel and the Palestinian Occupied Territories. Read more

Author of "Independent" Report was Paid Consultant for G4S

A former prison official who wrote an “independent” report on a G4S youth detention facility was a paid consultant for G4S. Martin Narey, former director general of the prison service, published a glowing report on the G4S’ Rainsbrook Training Center. In response to inquiries from the Guardian, Narey said, “Life would have been easier if I had not agreed to do this report.”Read more

Mangaung Contract Reinstated

A G4S contract is reinstated to operate the Mangaung Prison in South Africa. Despite violations and concerns over the safety of inmates and staff, G4S is continuing its 25-year contract to run Mangaung Prison.Read more

Sexual Assault Charges Raises Concerns Over G4S Screening

A G4S officer was arrested for sexually assaulting teens at Palmetto Youth Academy. ABC News reports that G4S appears to hire employees with troubled pasts to work with children. An official with the Department of Juvenile Justice says there will be a state-wide review of all G4S contracts at youth detention facilities.Read more

Juvenile Center Report Suggests Serious Problems with G4S Staff

A report on a G4S juvenile facility in Arkansas, cites serious concerns with increased assaults, verbal and physical abuse by staff, and limits on youths’ access to family and attorney phone calls. An employee who was fired for assaulting a resident was rehired and then fired again after another assault. Youths said they were frequently rewarded for following staff directives to punch or slap other youth. Read more

G4S Tied to Violence in AU Detention Center

Human Rights Center finds G4S failed to maintain basic human rights standards at Australian detention center. According to the complaint, G4S was directly responsible for violence at the Manus Island Detention Center that resulted in murder of asylum seeker Reza Barati. Read more

Durham County Terminates G4S Contract

Durham County Commissioners terminate a $1 million contract with G4S. The North Carolina Chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), led a coalition that urged the Durham County Commissioners not to renew a G4S contract for security guard services at county libraries.Read more

Guards Cleared of Mubenga Murder Charges

Jimmy Mubenga’s widow is shocked as G4S security guards are cleared of manslaughter. Read more

Racist Text Messages on Guard Phones

G4S security guards accused of manslaughter had racist text messages on phones. The UK judge hearing the Mubenga case withheld the G4S guards’ racist texts from the jury.Read more

Ferguson Activists Join Mubenga Protests in London

US Ferguson activists joined British activists in protesting G4S’ role in the death of Jimmy Mubenga. They blocked Victoria Street in London to challenge G4S for supporting the racist immigrant detention system and equipping Israeli prisons and checkpoints. Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of the Black Live Matter Movement was among the speakers at the solidarity actions.Read more

G4S Youth Officer Arrested For Sexual Assault

A G4S youth officer was arrested for sexually assaulting a juvenile inmate at the Okeechobee Youth Treatment Center. At the time of the arrest, G4S reportedly placed the employee on administrative leave.Read more

Univ. of Helsinki Cancels Contract

University of Helsinki cancels G4S contract over support for Israeli prisons. The decision by the university follows a campaign by unions representing its academics and students. Read more

G4S Annual Meeting Protested

G4S annual meeting descends into chaos as protesters speak out against contracts with the Israeli prison system, the death of Jimmy Mubenga. The meeting was dominated by concerns over G4S contracts to supply security and screening equipment at Israeli checkpoints and prisons.Read more

Survey Finds G4S Had Worst Performing Board in UK

G4S is perceived as the worst performing board in the UK, according to research from the Institute of Directors and Cass Business School. The survey asked 400 business leaders to rate UK companies on their corporate governance. The results deemed G4S to have the worst performing leadership.Read more

Grand Jury Calls G4S Facility a Disgrace

A grand jury issued a report calling a G4S Youth Facility a “disgrace” and urging that it be permanently shut down. G4S has a $40 million contract to run the Highland Youth Academy in Avon Park, Florida. , The grand jury said, “While the citizens are essential being ripped off – the juveniles are being even more poorly served. The Highlands Youth Academy should cease to exist.”Read more

G4S Loses UK Contract

G4S loses contract to operate Rainsbrook Youth Facility in the UK. According to the Office of Standards in Education, Children Services and Skills, G4S staff were on drugs while on duty, colluded with detainees, and behaved “extremely inappropriately” with young people causing distress and humiliation.Read more

Calls for UN to Cancel G4S Contracts

Palestinian human rights organizations joined by over 220 solidarity groups, trade unions, human rights organizations and migrant solidarity groups from around the world renew the call and urge the UN to cancel its contracts with G4S because of human rights abuses in Palestine and other parts of the world.Read more

Trial Begins for G4S Contractor Accused of Killing Asylum Seeker

The trial begins for a G4S contractor and Salvation Army employee accused of killing asylum seeker Reza Barati. According to witnesses, when the riots broke out at the Manus Island Detention Center, Barati was struck with a piece of timber and 13 G4S guards kicked his head with their boots. Despite reports that many guards were involved in the killing, only one is on trial.Read more

G4S

G4S is described as “slow to react” to increased violence at Altcourse privatized prison. G4S runs the Altcourse Prison in Liverpool. The UK Chief Inspector of Prisons found that G4S failed to respond adequately to increase violence, gang issues, and the increased availability of drugs.Read more

Large European Asset Manager Drops G4S

European investors are beginning to divest from companies accused of human rights abuses in migrant detention centers. A large European asset managers, says it excluded G4S from its actively managed funds last year because of human rights concerns, relating in part to the migrant detention centers it runs. G4S has faced accusations of human rights abuses, including over the 2014 death of Reza Barati, a detainee at Australia’s Manus Island.Read more